Air Polluters Sail the High Seas

[marmar]

from In These Times:




News > November 20, 2007
Air Polluters Sail the High Seas
By Michelle Chen


A threat to the world’s atmosphere is sailing the high seas, but activists say government regulators are letting the culprit off the hook.

The global shipping industry coughs up millions of tons of air pollution each year, yet its emissions are for the most part unregulated, aside from minimal international standards. Now, environmental groups are turning the country’s seaports into a fresh battleground in the climate-change debate, demanding that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rein in marine engines under the Clean Air Act.

The environmental law firm EarthJustice, Friends of the Earth and other advocacy groups are taking action to compel the EPA to set comprehensive restrictions on the air pollution that clouds U.S. harbors. In a recently filed lawsuit and administrative petition, environmentalists argue the Clean Air Act mandates the government to confront health-damaging soot as well as greenhouse gases emitted by shipping vessels.

Though cars and industrial plants are more notorious for contributing to global warming, cargo ships are also heavyweight polluters. Researchers with the German Aerospace Center and University of Delaware estimate that ocean ships dump between 600 million and 900 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. That’s comparable to the total yearly emissions of countries like Germany or Canada.

“Ships have traditionally gone below the radar, in part because they’re kind of ‘out there,’” says Jackie Savitz, pollution campaign director with the environmental organization Oceana. “We rarely drive by them on our way home from work.” .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3413/air_polluters_sail_the_high_seas/

[Turbineguy]

1. Emissions are from the fuel

which is residual fuel from an increasingly efficient oil refining process. Right now this residual fuel is the means to get rid of all manner of toxic materials. This does need to be cleaned up. But there is little courage to do so as facilities would have to be in somebody's neighborhood.

The people on cargo ships and the companies that own the ships have very little control over the fuel.

[AndyA]

2. Yet another reason to buy American.

Made in America supports American companies, American jobs, and doesn't need to be transported halfway around the world.

As if we needed another reason.